


Declaration of War

by Cmdr_Xavier



Series: Call to Arms: A Zootopian Fanfiction [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, M/M, Multi, Tragedy, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21779074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cmdr_Xavier/pseuds/Cmdr_Xavier
Summary: This work was inspired by Red Tails and Wilde Skies. It will be my take on the family that Nick left behind and their stories. Lucky Buck has his tanks, Nick has his Spitfires, this will be the naval side from the heretofore neutral UVT.It will span from the attack on the battleship anchorage at Pearl Harbor all the way until VJ-Day.
Relationships: Nick Wilde/Original Character(s)
Series: Call to Arms: A Zootopian Fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569568
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Declaration of War

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work and its been a long time in coming. 
> 
> It was supposed to be released to coincide with the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, but life got in the way. 
> 
> I will upload the following chapters on a bi-weekly basis. 
> 
> Hope you stay for the show.

Chapter 1: Declaration of War

Inside an officer’s wardroom aboard the light cruiser, UVS San Diego currently docked at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, a wireless was playing The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

On the shelves of this relatively senior officer, one could see significant points in his life. There was a framed class picture from his time at the naval academy in Maryland, another was of his proficiency with invasive surgery as attested to by the head of Johns Hoppkin hospital. There was a plaque for marksmammalship given by the Zootopian Navy for his accuracy and precision with the Lee-Enfield Mk.9-M rifle, another plaque showed his participation in the war game of 1938 with the Royal Canidian Armed Forces. These were all held in place by a wire frame to prevent loss while at sea.

The desk, while sturdy enough, was bolted to the floor to prevent it rolling when the ship hit heavy swells at sea. It was made of oak, one of the few luxuries afforded to senior officers as the weight added to the ship’s displacement. It had 1 large drawer and two smaller ones. The large drawer had no lock, while the topmost small drawer had a simple key. 

The chair in which the mammal sat was also made of oak. A donation from his family’s land in Vulpania for the officer’s commissioning ceremony. The officer, Captain Arthur Sionnach, was a male red fox. The tod had the same amber eyes of his sire, Major-General “Stonewall” Sionnach, and looked remarkably similar physically. Though, that is where the similarities ended. In temperament, they could not have been more dissimilar. 

The elder Sionnach was heavily biased against prey and made it known at every private dinner they had. The heir apparent cultured friendships with his few prey companions and got to know them as persons. The elder saw them as either hurdles or stepping-stones for advancement. The heir was circumspect in his dealings when in unfamiliar territory, the sire was brash and never hesitated to throw rank around. 

The sprightly broadcast was abruptly cut short as a male voice began speaking.

“We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin from the Joint Session of Congress” 

Applause could now be heard as the president was announced by the barker on the floor of the Capitol building. 

There was a short shuffling of papers and then came the mellow baritone of the UV President, Franklin Delano Moosevelt as he spoke.

“Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:

YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy, the United Vulpine Territories was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Nippon.

The United Territories was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Nippon, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pawcific. Indeed, one hour after Nipponese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the Pawaiian Island of Oahu, the Nipponese Ambassador to the United Territories and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent Vulpinian message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Pawaii from Nippon makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Nipponese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United Territories by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Pawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to Vulpinian naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many Vulpinian lives have been lost. In addition Vulpinian ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Nipponese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Nipponese forces attacked Hong Kong: Last night Nipponese forces attacked Guam. Last night Nipponese forces attacked the Binturong Islands. Last night the Nipponese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Nipponese attacked Midway Island.

Nippon has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pawcific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United Territories have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the Vulpinian people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Nippon on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United Territories and the Nipponese Empire” 

As the nearly nine-minute long speech ended, a vulpine naval officer slumped onto his desk and wept. He tuned out the sound of applause and the resumption of his classical music. 

In his left paw, he clutched an ornate silver picture frame containing three foxes in happier times. 

The leftmost fox was Andrew, a lean and lanky fox in his youth, with the right ear cocked towards the right; the rightmost fox was Nicholas Wilde, an almost infuriating smirk on his muzzle as he looked towards the camera with one arm around the fox in the center. The fox in the center, Arthur, had worn this hideous pair of rectangular-framed glasses and looked uncomfortable being sandwiched between the two troublemakers.

The officer was beside himself in his grief. Tears rolled down his muzzle as he gave the most piteously sounding whine. The tears stained the orange fur around his eyes until these fell onto the official stationery awaiting final signature, smearing the ink and rendering the text illegible.

With his family boasting a long military lineage all the way to the current nation’s founding, he knew it was only a matter of time before another conflict would break out. 

In every skirmish the young nation engaged in, Sionnachs were called to serve and they did so with remarkable distinction. 

One such example was by Lieutenant Lawrence Sionnach who managed to win a naval engagement using newly-built sloops and schooners to contest the Zootopian build-up on the Canidian-UVT border during the war of 1812. The other squadron was commanded by Commander Ares Bogo, an imposing Cape buffalo who had also participated in the Revolutionary War as a midshipmammal on board the ZNS Serapis. In contrast with the UVT ships, of which he held in such low regard that he eschewed any aid, he had 2 brigs, 2 schooners, 1 sloop and 1 bomb-ketch to help force an engagement. 

When battle was joined, the buffalo was mortally wounded in the opening minutes of the battle and taken to the surgery where he would expire after eight hours of agony from the ball that buried itself near his spine. He lived just long enough to see his squadron disintegrate, striking his ship’s colours to spare his crew and having his sword magnanimously returned by the victorious vulpines. 

That the naval squadron was destroyed by their own crews just three months later to prevent these from falling into Zootopian control never dulled the services rendered by those brave mammals. 

The small logical part of his mind catalogued the lack of information coming out from Pearl and came to the most likely conclusion: Andrew was KIA.

His litter mate, Andrew, was stationed as a pilot at Ford airfield as per the Army’s letter to their manor nine months ago. Andrew had departed immediately and had brought his mate, Mary Anne Sionnach nee Gordon, with him. She was pregnant with their first litter and could not contain herself at the posting. The prospect of indulging in the sun, surf and sand made her yip with glee. 

Both their fates now seemed to take a darker turn with this attack. 

Nicholas Wilde, his step-brother, had departed when the Eweropean conflict had began in earnest in the autumn of 1939. He had taken some good foxes with him straight out of his university and sailed to Zootopia to play their part. There was a fantastic (and speciest) uproar from Arthur’s father, General “Stonewall” Sionnach of Vulpinian Rainbow Division fame, about aiding the prey who took it upon themselves to throw out his ancestors from their peerage and that they should be left to their fates.

Nick, refused to take this insult sitting down and replied in kind. Steadfastly parrying the old fox at each turn until both were out of breath. 

It had the unintended result of fraying relationships between the “Vulpy” general, and the intended result of Nicholas being given free reign to deal with the conflict as he saw it. Begrudgingly, the old fox gave his blessing and asked but one concession from his stepson. Nicholas was to use his mother’s maiden name just in case he screws up with his “voluntary” absence from higher education. 

The officer remained in such position until a knock on the steel door broke his catatonic state. As he mentally shook himself and attempted to fix the tear-stained paperwork, the hatch opened to show a scarred Eurasian wolf. 

The other sailor bowed his furred head as he entered, being a touch tall for the entryway. He then frowned as he saw the disheveled state of his superior before schooling his features into a stoic mask.

“My apologies, Doctor. This came for you not more than five minutes ago” the wolf stated brusquely, holding out a telegram in his right paw. 

The fox made no motion to take the paper, his limbs having gone limp. His brushtail too was tucked between his legs in some semblance of comfort.

“C-can i-it wait?” he hiccoughed, already feeling disgusted with how weak he sounded.

“No, it can’t sir. I’m sorry”, replied the wolf. 

With shaking paws, Arthur gingerly took out the crisp telegram from its nondescript white envelope, blank of anything bar his name typewritten into the center and began to read.

As he finished, he gave out a long keening wail of sorrow. The tears he had held back had once again returned in full force. His body was now wracked by sobs. 

The wolf tried ignoring the wails of sorrow that his commanding officer was giving. Placing his paws behind him in a parade rest stance and staring off into the distance only worked for the first ten minutes. At the eleventh minute, his stony exterior was showing cracks. At the twentieth minute, he went into action.

Abruptly, and without warning, he grabbed Arthur by the scruff and gently shook him. When this had no effect, he muttered an apology under his breath and slapped him. Arthur calmed momentarily and the wolf gave a short sigh of relief. 

On the floor of the wardroom, the discarded message lay open for all to see.

The letter read:

FROM: Pearl Harbor Naval Command

TO: Captain Arthur Sionnach, UVS San Diego

Dear Sir:

As you are now head of the Sionnach line with the untimely death of your father earlier this year, we regret to inform you that Captain Andrew Gregory Sionnach of the 23rd Pursuit Squadron, AAC is missing in action, presumed dead. He was last seen going after Nipponese aircraft due west of Pearl. Please make haste towards the nearest friendly port and proceed to Washington. 

Sincerely,

Adm. Couscand Kammel (sgd.)


End file.
